Night Patrol

The quiet of the house deepened after dark, prompting me to establish a secure station. I navigated the gap between the desk and the bookshelf, scaling the stacked volumes of reference books until I reached the highest open shelf. Positioned beside the cool brass casing of a mechanical clock, I observed the pendulum's rhythmic sweep beneath the glass. Its steady tick provided a reliable rhythm against the silence. From here, the dark shadows across the corridor and living room stay entirely within my perimeter.